NEW DELHI: While the Supreme Court (SC) today said that the allegations levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh were serious in nature, it however refused to entertain his plea where he had sought CBI investigation in the alleged corrupt malpractices.

An SC bench consisting of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and R Subhash Reddy observed that the case should be heard by the High Court first. "We do acknowledge the matter is serious and affects the administration at large. But the power of article 226 is wide. The High Court can deal with it," the Bench remarked.

In his petition Singh has challenged the state government's order to transfer him from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner, he has also claimed that Deshmukh 'pressurised' him to probe the role of certain BJP leaders and to 'somehow implicate' them in the case of the death of Member of Parliament Mohan Delkar, but he "did not succumb" to the pressure.

Senior Counsel Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Singh told the Court that he will move Bombay High Court on Wednesday itself and withdrew the plea.

In a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, just three days just after he was shunted out from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner and was transferred to the Home Guard department, Singh had made sensational claims against Deshmukh saying that he had asked sacked police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore (in bribes) every month from city bars and hotels. 

According to Singh's letter, Deshmukh told Waze that there are about 1,750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai and if a sum of Rs 2 to 3 lakhs each was collected from each of them, a monthly collection of at least Rs 40-50 crore was achievable. 

He claimed that Waze had personally told him about Deshmukh's instructions and he was shocked. Waze is in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the 'Antilia' bomb scare case and has been held responsible for the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad.